Lifetime in a Moment
by Tahyldras
Summary: There, at the end, two bitter foes get a chance to experience what both could and could never be.
1. Chapter 1

"Hello, Emrys."

Merlin's head jerks around, and he has enough time to register the form of the last High Priestess, before being flung to the side with a wave of her hand.

With Merlin dealt with, albeit temporarily, Morgana Pendragon saunters over to the mortally wounded form of her half-brother; King Arthur Pendragon. She kneels next to his still form and starts speaking, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"What a joy it is to see you Arthur. Look at you. Not so high and mighty now. You may have won the battle, but you've lost the war. You're going to die by Mordred's hand." A thought that Morgana clearly relishes. "Oh, but don't worry dear brother, I won't let you die here alone. I will stay and watch over you, 'til the wolves gorge on your carcass and bathe in your blood."

The metallic ringing sound of a sword being drawn diverts her attention away from the dying man, to see Merlin standing behind her, wielding Arthur's sword.

"No." he says, the conviction and power in his voice almost surprising her. "The time for all this bloodshed is over. I blame myself for what you have become. This has to end."

Angered by his defiance, Morgana stands to face him.

"I am a High Priestess." her eyes flick down to the blade in Merlin's hand. "No mortal blade can kill me."

Saying nothing, Merlin lunges forward and plunges Excalibur deep into Morgana's gut. Morgana gasps at the unexpected pain, doubling over as the blade burned within her as if it were fire made solid.

Fighting the pain, Morgana looks up into the emotionless mask of Merlin's face.

"This is no mortal blade." he tells her. "Like yours, it was forged in a dragon's breath.".

With a sickeningly fleshy noise, he pulls the sword from her now-dying body and watches dispassionately as she collapses next to a tree root. His eyes rove up her wounded form, and come to rest looking into her eyes. They flash gold, and in an instant, Morgana uses the last of her strength to connect his mind to hers.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Apologies to those following me; I deleted the first incarnation of this story for two reasons: I felt that the first version was somewhat rushed and needed both more and longer flashes, and I felt that putting this story into a chaptered format would suit it more.**

**This was somewhat inspired by a particular episode of Stargate: SG1, and once the idea came to me it it wouldn't leave me alone. It has been one of those stories that you desperately want down on paper, but often the words would not come or you just cannot get them to say exactly what you want. Which is frustrating, to say the least.**

**Still, please read and enjoy, and do not hesitate to leave a review. Especially if you have any criticisms you wish to voice.**

**Many thanks,**

**Tahyldras.**


	2. Chapter 2

The young, scrawny boy walks into the courtyard, following the bloodthirsty shouts of the crowd. Looking up, he sees the tyrant king extolling the evils of magic as a sorcerer is brought, struggling and in chains, from the dungeon and into the courtyard.

Movement several windows along draws his eyes, and he sees a beautiful, raven-haired woman turn, disgusted, from the crowd's gleeful yells.

Merlin is enthralled, the King's speech and the rest of the courtyard fade into the background, only to be brought sharply back into Merlin's focus as the headsman brings his axe down upon the sorcerer's neck with a dull, sickly thud, much to the delight of the gathered masses.


	3. Chapter 3

Merlin barely manages to hold in a gasp at the sight of the Lady Morgana, resplendent in a vivid red gown, with a jeweled coronet nestled in her hair and a sparkling red tear on her cheek.

Unable to tear his eyes from her beautiful visage, his gaze follows her as she glides past where he and his guardian, Gaius, are standing, with nary a glance at either of them.

After the Lady Morgana passes, Merlin finally manages to will himself to look ahead. Catching sight of Gaius' knowing look, he shyly looks away and smiles slightly.

Despite his efforts not to, Merlin often finds his gaze throughout the night settling upon the form of the forbidden King's Ward.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Thank you very much for your kind review/s, Guest or Guests. I shall try to upload one chapter a day, and although the next few may be rather familiar to those who have seen the show, it will soon divert away from established Canon.**

**Many thanks,**

**Tahyldras**


	4. Chapter 4

"Uther believes he has magic, and that makes him guilty." Merlin answers Morgana, with a sad expression of resignation on his face as he looks down upon the sleeping Druid boy.

"Uther's wrong." the conviction in Morgana's immediate reply surprises Merlin, and he waits a moment before speaking.

"You believe that?" he asks, his voice laced with surprise.

"What if magic isn't something you choose? What if it chooses you?" Morgana's words fan a small spark of hope, flickering within Merlin's chest. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

At that moment, Merlin realises he is staring at the young King's Ward, and hurriedly looks back down at the injured boy.

"Nothing."

A moment passes before Morgana speaks, with a small tilt of her head that raises Merlin's blood pressure a notch.

"Why are you helping him?"

Not for the first time, and certainly not the last, Merlin is almost overtaken by the urge to confide in his friend the hidden truth of his existence. After a moment's consideration, he simply says,

"It was a spur of the moment decision."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Just a couple of replies to the lovely reviewers, as I cannot PM you my thanks directly.**

**Guest: Fantastic! I can't describe how good it feels when people say they like my writing. I must admit, I do quite like writing about Morgana. If I were in Camelot, I would definitely be crushing on her. Before she goes evil and tries to murder, well, everyone that is :L  
I do find quite often that I keep things close to my chest when writing. I have absolutely no idea why, but I am glad you are enjoying it!**

**Amy: Thank you! And believe me, I intend to!**


	5. Chapter 5

Merlin looks up from the book he's reading at the noise of the door slamming open, to see Morgana rush into Gaius' chambers.

"Is Gaius here?" she asks him, panic evident on her face and tears shining in her eyes.

Acutely aware that Morgana is clad only in her nightgown, Merlin swallows and forces himself to look only at her face.

"Er, no. He's not here at the moment. He should be back soon, though."

"I need to speak to him. Where is he?"

"He's gone to see the King. What's wrong? You can trust me, Morgana. You know you can." Merlin assures her, concern filling his every word.

"I'm scared, Merlin. I don't understand anything any more. I need to know what's happening. Please."

Merlin, clearly unsure what is wrong, tries to reassure the near-distraught woman. "Gaius will be back soon. He'll be able to help you."

"He won't. I don't want any more remedies. They don't do any good." Morgana takes a deep breath as she prepares to confide in the lanky servant. "It's magic, Merlin."

The black haired man's silence spurs her to speak again.

"Please, say something. I'm your friend, you know I wouldn't make this up." With these words, Merlin knew that the moment he had been waiting for had come. A moment that would likely change the course of his life, and certainly change the course of Morgana's, hopefully for the better.

"I know."

"Then you believe me? You think it's magic, too! Mer-" Merlin interrupts her with a wave of his hand.

"I don't think it's magic; I know it. I've known it for months, I think."

Morgana's expression was heartbreaking to Merlin. To see such relief that she wasn't losing her mind tainted with the fear of what people would do to her if they find out about what should be seen as a gift.

"I'm not going mad, then." Morgana says nothing for a moment, her brow furrowed deep in thought. "How can you be so sure?" she asks a moment later, looking back up to Merlin's face.

Merlin does not say a word, instead he simply holds out his palm, face up. There, flickering away, lay a single flame.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**This is where it all started to go horribly wrong for Merlin. I was practically screaming at the screen for Merlin to tell her at this point. One of those scenes where you wish you were ignorant of Arthurian mythology, and had no idea that Morgana (Morgaine, Morgan le Fay, whatever you wish to call her) is so often the mortal enemy of Merlin.**

**To reviews!**

**Guest: I'm glad I'm helping you with a new perspective. It's one of those unexpected pleasures that I have found from writing fan fiction. Ah, he did not tell her in the last chapter, though he was sorely tempted to. I shall have to go back and make that bit clearer. But yes, he has now ignored both Gaius' and Kilgarrah's warnings. Something he ought to have done in Canon.**

**Amy: As do I. A fantastic person, before Morgause got her grubby little mitts on her.**


	6. Chapter 6

"You saved me." Merlin looks up, as Morgana sweeps into Gaius' chambers

"I'm sorry?"

"When Aredian had his knife to my neck. I saw it glow, felt it's heat on my neck." Morgana explains, stepping close to the gangly servant. "Thank you." She leans in, and plants a soft kiss on his cheek. Merlin just blushes, and mumbles that it was nothing. Straightening up, she adds,

"Nice work with the toad, by the way. I'm impressed." Merlin couldn't stop the broad smile breaking out on his face even if he wanted to.

With her thanks given, Morgana goes to leave the room. Pausing at the door, she looks back into the room with a thoughtful expression.

"Can you teach me how to do that?"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Slightly shorter one today, although I'm not too concerned with how much I put out each day.**

**Guest: Oh, right! My apologies; I misread your review, sorry. I'm not so good with extended scenes of purely original writing (so far), so how she reacted in the days after is completely up to you, but this chapter certainly indicates that she got over any issues she may have had. **

**I must say that I was tempted to give a hint to the ending, but, once again, I am keeping my cards close to my chest.**

**Many thanks again to all my new followers,**

**Tahyldras**


	7. Chapter 7

"Are you sure it's safe in here, Merlin?" Morgana asks, closing the door to Merlin's room behind her.

"To practice magic? Of course. I've learned a lot in this room." Merlin replies, as he kneels next to the bed and pries up a loose floorboard, revealing a veritable trove of forbidden artefacts. Kneeling next to him, Morgana peers into the nook, fascinated.

"This," starts Merlin, his hand grasping a large, leather-bound tome, and interrupting the exploration of Morgana's eyes, "is what we shall be learning from." he finishes, though the act of pulling the book out shifts a fold of cloth, revealing a faint blue glow.

Morgana's eyes immediately shift to the glow. Knowing that Morgana's tenacity wouldn't allow him to divert her attention, Merlin simply sighs, puts the book aside and pulls out a long, wrapped bundle. Unwrapping the cloth reveals a wooden staff, one end of which a large blue orb was entangled with tendrils of the wood, almost as if it had grown around the glowing gem.

"This is a Sidhe staff. You remember Aulfric, and his daughter Sophia?" Morgana nods. "They were Sidhe, and this was Sophia's. I picked this up after Sophia discarded hers, and managed to stop them both with it before they drowned Arthur." Seeing the question in Morgana's eyes before she could voice it, Merlin answers. "Yes, your dream was true. In fact, without it I may not have been able to save him."

Not yet ready to discuss her dreams yet, Morgana swallows and asks,

"When else have you used it?" The conversation had led exactly where Merlin hadn't wanted it to go, but knew it would as soon as Morgana spotted the staff. Taking a deep breath, he readies himself for what is sure to be an uncomfortable conversation.

"I've only used it one other time. Tauren." Confused, Morgana tried to place Merlin in the events around Tom the blacksmith's, Gwen's father, execution. Once again answering an unspoken question, Merlin asks,

"Did you not wonder why Tauren did not attack Uther with more sorcerers?" Merlin's flat tone spoke more to Morgana than his words, clearly telling her that he knew exactly her role in the attempt on Uther's life.

"Oh." was all that she could say.

* * *

Author's Note:  
apologise for my lack of an update the past couple of days. Be assured that I had my reasons.

On to reviews! Where possible, I will PM you with my reply.

Guest: Once again, thank you. I myself do like pieces where Merlin is teaching Morgana, but I will likely only have this one chapter about it specifically. I just wanted a way for Merlin to tell Morgana that he knew just what she was capable of.

Meri Ley: Thank you! It's always good to go back over what is established every now and then. You never know what little ideas will jump into your skull and never leave until you've scrawled them all over a dozen sheets of paper.


	8. Chapter 8

"Can you look after this for me?" Morgana asks, holding out a small, silver bracelet to Merlin.

"Um... sure." Merlin hesitantly replies, taking the proffered piece of jewellery. Holding up the bracelet, he asks "Wasn't this Morgause's?"

Morgana looks somewhat taken aback at how observant the servant can be, but recovers quickly and swallows before explaining.

"She gave it to me. I went to see her after the duel with Arthur because something seemed so... familiar about her. She said it belonged to her mother, then tried to give it to me to help me sleep. I turned it down, but when I awoke this morning, it was sat on the table next to my bed! She broke into my room whilst I was sleeping to give me a bracelet! I don't trust her. I... I think it may be enchanted." It was Merlin's time to be surprised at her words.

"Enchanted? Are you sure? I can take it to a... a friend, who lives nearby. I'll get him to examine, see if he finds anything."

"You know another magic user? In Camelot? Why have you not mentioned him before?"

"He's not quite what you or I would consider a normal magic user. And I'm sorry to say that he's not exactly fond of you. I'll explain later." Merlin answers, before rushing off into the depths of the castle, leaving a confused Morgana standing in Gaius' chambers.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**As two different Guests posted a review for the last chapter, I will reply to them in the order posted.**

**Guest 1: So have I, and thankfully we have fan fiction for us all to explore all sorts of possibilities! All throughout the series, I was hoping that someone, anyone, would find out about Merlin. Someone other than Lancelot. Gwaine would have been perfect. I can see it, where he and Merlin are hiding behind a box, and Gwaine is prodding him to magically prank Arthur**

**Amy: Thank you, and it's really something I think he would have done had the real-world stories not had Merlin and Morgana/Morgaine/Morgan le Faye (and a dozen other variations on the same name) as enemies.**

**Guest 2: I shall endeavour to not betray your trust. Certainly, with a High Priestess, Emrys as well as the Arthur and the Knights, Camelot would be nigh-invulnerable!**

**Many thanks again,**

**Tahyldras.**


	9. Chapter 9

"You were right. It was enchanted." Merlin informs Morgana, sitting next to her on her bed. He pauses before explaining "At first, all Kilgharrah could find was an innocuous sleep spell, but when he probed deeper he found traces of dark magic. Magic to make you malleable to Morgause's manipulations, to bring out your darker and more selfish tendencies. Who knows what would have happened had you slept even a single night wearing the hateful thing."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

_**EDIT: I have no idea what happened with the last upload... It's all fixed, though, and I will be keeping an eye out for future problems like that.**_

**A nice and short one for today. Major chapters coming soon, though...**

**Reviews! Once again, if I can PM you, I have done.**

**Amy: Well, you're just going to have to read and find out! But yes, yes he did. Just after this bit, actually. Gonna have to imagine that conversation, though**

**Guest: I like the idea. It's just another small way that we can pretend that she was really enchanted the whole time. Even though being tricked into drinking hemlock will piss off just about anyone... Yes, I wonder who... ;)**

**Once again many thanks to all you brilliant readers,**

**Tahyldras**


	10. Chapter 10

"Give me the hemlock, Merlin." Morgana orders, pointing to the tainted water skin clutched in the manservant's sweaty hands.

"Morgana! You can't do this! We can find another way." Merlin protests, but still reaches out and hands the beautiful King's Ward the poisoned water.

"You heard the dragon as well as I. Morgause enchanted me to be the source of the curse" she gestures to the sleeping king between them. "And the source must be destroyed."

Morgana raises the water skin to her lips, but hesitates a moment before lowering it slightly. Her eyes flick up and meet Merlin's. She pulls him over Uther's unconscious form, lowers his head and kisses him passionately, pressing her body against his.

After what seems like a lifetime to the two young mages, Morgana pushes Merlin away. Unable to bear the look on his face, she turns away. Takeing a deep breath, she hardens her conviction and drinks deeply from the flask held in her slender fingers.


	11. Chapter 11

From his vantage point underneath the King's bed, Merlin is able to see little other than the overhanging bedclothes covering the unconscious monarch.

Soft footsteps join the steady drip of the mandrake root hanging next to him.

A delicate pair of intricately decorated shoes stop next to the bed.

A slender, pale hand reaches down under the bed and, firmly grasping the dripping mandrake root, tears it away from its hangings.

The shoes turn and head towards the door.

Heart in his mouth, Merlin peers around the sumptuous bedclothes.

His heart almost stops dead at the sight of long, dark tresses of hair that can only belong to one.

Morgana.


	12. Chapter 12

"Morgana! You don't have to do this! There is another way!" Merlin pleads with an uncertain Morgana, surrounded by the shattered remains of Camelot's now-empty tombs. Merlin's words stir a memory, and Morgana's expression hardens.

"You said that to me before! Then you forces that poison down my throat!" she yells, before lunging at the servant with the sword clutched in her hand. Parrying the blow, Merlin shouts to her.

"I didn't force you to drink the hemlock! You drank it yourself." He hesitates for a moment, briefly wondering if he should continue. "You did it after you kissed me. Do you remember that?"

Morgana falters. The clarity her eyes had lacked when she returned sparked back into being. She brings one hand up to touch her lips, trying to grasp the ghost of a memory. Emotion after emotion flash across her face. First confusion, then shock and finally an expression of cold rage. With a snarl, she draws her sword back and, before Merlin can react, brings the blade down upon the staff embedded in the ground, cleaving it in two and reducing the undead warriors above to inert piles of bone.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Surprise! I think I took an almost perverse pleasure in writing that last chapter... But at least Morgana's flirtation with her darker self is a lot shorter in this particular version of the story.**

**Not even halfway through the story yet, I have another 14 chapters to publish written, and plan on sticking more in.**

**_Edit: Sorry for the double upload, something funny keeps happening when I copy/paste the story, and I keep forgetting to check it after I save._**

**Guest: Thank you, it's comments like that that really make me want to keep writing. And yes, I do have a tendency to be somewhat sadistic sometimes... It's just part of my charm, I suppose!**

**Amy: Don't worry, I still plan on posting daily until it's finished. You'll find out soon enough!**

**Once again thank you all,**

**Tahyldras**


	13. Chapter 13

Moonlight shining through the window, the young warlock sits on the plush bed as he comforts the distraught Seer sat next to him.

"What happened to me?" she asks, voice cracking with the strain of holding back her tears. "Why did I do those foul things?"

"You were Morgause's prisoner for more than a year, Morgana. We both know that, sister or not, she is not above enchanting you." Merlin reassures her. "I'm just thankful that you were able to break it only a few days after you coming back home." he adds, avoiding exactly what caused Morgana to fight through the spell. That was a conversation for another day.

"I don't know how you can stand to even be in the same room as me." Morgana's small voice tears at Merlin's heart, as her tears finally start to fall.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Straight onto reviews! Once again, PM'd where possible.**

**Amy: Thank you, and so do I sometimes. It's good to read about them being BAMFs every now and then.**

**Guest: The scene after she drinks the hemlock pretty much went the same way as in the show, with Morgause taking Morgana to save her. It was Merlin saying the same thing ("There has to be another way!") that triggered the memory, but it had been twisted by Morgause during the intervening year so that Morgana thinks she was poisoned against her will. Then Merlin mentions the kiss, and that breaks through Morgause's enchantments, partly because of Morgana's feelings for Merlin and partly that Morgana never wore the enchanted bracelet, and so was less vulnerable to her sister.  
I just wanted to really drive the wedge in between Morgana and Morgause, and Morgause forcing her to betray everything that mattered to her seemed the best way.  
Oh, I know. But I do take an almost perverse pleasure in teasing my readers like that. And I figured that these chapters are so short, I can't justify leaving it any longer than a day or so between uploads.**

**Thank you all,**

**Tahyldras**


	14. Chapter 14

A hand darts out and pulls Merlin into what he has started to think of as 'their' alcove.

"Merlin!" Morgana whispers, ignoring his small yelp of surprise. "I had a dream last night. A vision of the future!"

Merlin, knowing that Morgana's visions usually involve tragedies and a whole lot of work for the two magic wielders, simply sighs and asks "What's going to happen to the clotpole, now?"

Smiling at Merlin's annoyance at how often the Crown Prince of Camelot gets himself into trouble, Morgana simply answers.

"He's getting married."

Merlin blinks for a moment.

"Married? When? To whom? Gwen?"

Morgana just nods, her smile getting wider and before long the two are laughing with joy at their two respective best friends' future happiness.


	15. Chapter 15

Merlin sits on his bed and wonders how he's going to break the news to Morgana. Despite the foul acts Morgause had committed, they were still sisters. He won't have to be there as they pull her body from what once was the Throne Room. He knew as soon as he brought the ceiling down upon the blonde sorceress' head, he would have to tell Morgana of her sister's death.

Whilst the rest of Camelot would be both celebrating the demise of the short-lived conqueror and mourning those lost standing up to her, Merlin would be with Morgana, helping her recover after her brief reign as a puppet Queen of Camelot.

He can't help but admire her strength. Time after time, life has struck her blows that would have crippled a lesser human, and each time she comes back stronger.

Although he would never voice such concerns, Merlin often wonders just how much more the revealed King's daughter can take.

Standing up, Merlin steels himself for the coming night, and sets off for Morgana's chambers.


	16. Chapter 16

Merlin wasn't sure how Morgana would react. He didn't know how _he_ would react. It was something he had been imagining for years, something he ought to be happy about. Uther is finally dead, and Arthur is going to be King. It was clear to everyone that the Crown Prince was not handling his father's death well. The devastation on Arthur's face tore at Merlin, and made him wish that there was something he could do, but the Gleeman's blade had done too much damage to the old King's heart.

Morgana was another matter entirely. She despised her father. Hated him for lying to her her entire life. Hated him for what he does to those with magic. Feared him for what he would do to her. But he was still her father, and had looked after her as his own daughter when Gorlois had been killed.

All Merlin can do is show Morgana that she is not alone. He knows that that is of the utmost importance. He cannot risk Morgana becoming the black-hearted witch he witnesses in his all too common nightmares.

* * *

Author's Note:

These last few chapters have been rather bad for Morgana, but things ought to start looking up now!

Guest: Oh no, Merlin did for the most part. It's just that they were sisters, and had a year to form their relationship, enchantments not withstanding. She still feels for the death of her sister, the last link to her mother and the man she considers her father.  
And she *has* been through a lot in her short life. Losing her parents and being shipped off to a strange castle to live. Her nightmares, her sister's betrayals, discovering her true parentage. It'd be enough for anyone to crumple under the weight.

Once again, many thanks to you all,

Tahyldras


	17. Chapter 17

"By the sacred laws vested in me, I crown you Guinevere; Queen of Camelot." Arthur's voice echoes through the cavernous Throne Room as the King of Camelot takes his wife and new Queen's hand and guides her to her throne; set pride of place next to his.

Merlin's eyes seek out Morgana, and after a moment settle upon her face, knowing that the joyful smile marks the first time she is happy that one of her prophetic dreams has come true.

The entire Kingdom celebrates Arthur's and Guinevere's marriage, especially the common people. Knowing that one of their own was on the throne certainly boded well for them.

The feast was one for the history books. Enormous tables, laden with sumptuous meats and exquisite delicacies, and ewers overflowing with rich wines and strong ales. Even the servants partook, with Arthur having brought in extra staff to serve the servants as well as the gathered nobles. Gwen didn't want her friends among the staff to have to work at her wedding celebration.

Late that night, their minds clouded by wine and ale, Merlin and Morgana finally kiss for a second time. The second kiss quickly leads to a third, and a fourth.

Lips locked together, Morgana and Merlin fall into the sumptuous bed.

Their clumsy fingers hurry to remove layer after layer of clothing, as many years of hidden desire finally bubble over.

Gentle touches probe the other's bare flesh, as moans of pleasure issue forth from the new lovers' lips.

Exploring one another's forms, cries of ecstasy echo throughout the secluded tower room as two bodies become one.

The pleasures, new to the two young lovers, cannot be contained, vast storm clouds gather with each peak of rapture, and great bolts of lighting strike with each burst of carnal pleasure.


	18. Chapter 18

Merlin stares at the slender fingers, entwined with his, in front of him. His eyes follow the porcelain skin of her arm up to her shoulder and then onto Morgana's beaming face. He barely listens as Arthur proclaims the couple to the gathered crowd as husband and wife.

The newly-weds lean into the other, and as their lips touch for the first time as husband and wife, all around them magical fireworks scream off into the night sky.

Against the backdrop of the full moon, the enchanted rockets explode, filling the night with great flashes of colour that can be seen for many miles around.

For many years, the marriage between first Court Warlock and first Court Seer of Camelot was spoken of with awe and wonder, and often named as the moment that the Golden Age of Albion began.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I thank you all for your patience with my erratic uploading schedule lately, and I am restarting my daily uploads as of today.**

**Most of the following chapters will be a lot shorter, so I may be condensing the flashes to two or even three per chapter.**

**Many thanks,**

**Tahyldras**


	19. Chapter 19

He has to get to Morgana. Urging his horse to go faster, he leaves Gwaine and Lancelot behind as he rushes to her.

Storming into the castle's courtyard, he jumps off the horse and forces the door open with a burst of magic before he reaches it.

He frantically sprints through the hallways, following the faint cries. He bowls over servants in his mad rush to get to his wife, and splatters mud throughout the corridors.

Skidding to a halt in front of a very particular doorway, Merlin bursts through, panting for breath. He stops dead at the sight of Morgana, pale and dishevelled, sitting up in the bed and gently cooing at the crying bundle wrapped up in her arms.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Well, that promise lasted long...**

**I apologise once again, this time for just forgetting yesterday's upload. I am determined to *actually* continue my daily uploads.**

**Many thanks for your continued patience,**

**Tahyldras**


	20. Chapter 20

Merlin and Morgana stroll through the Camelot marketplace as two young black-haired girls play around their feet. They pause to peruse an elderly druid's stall of poultices and potions, all the while chatting amiably with the old man, before moving on, carrying on their conversation as the people of Camelot pass by this now-weekly occurrence.

* * *

Arthur, with his once blonde hair now streaked with grey, stands next to his seated wife in the Throne Room of Camelot. He announces to the gathered crowd that he is naming Elaine, the eldest daughter of his sister, as sole heir of the Throne of Camelot.

His proclamation confirms the rampant rumours of the King's inability to produce an heir.

* * *

Merlin and Morgana, with greying hair and ageing faces, stand emotionless as the ceremony takes place.

The recently widowed Queen Guinevere, her years more evident than those of Merlin's and Morgana's, gently places her crown upon Elaine's bowed head.

She steps down from the throne, unwilling to rule without Arthur's solid presence beside her, and allows the young woman to take her place.

* * *

The two old lovers study the other's face, once so young and vital, now aged and wrinkled. Wordlessly, their small boat departs the shore as the silent audience of children and old friends watches.

The boat slides into the morning fog and Merlin and Morgana enter the Vale of Avalon, to protect and guide the Once and Future King on his journey back to the mortal world.


	21. Chapter 21

With a jolt like a blow to the chest, the connection is broken.

Merlin is sent reeling, and crashes down onto his back. Disoriented by the sudden transition from boat to land, he struggles to regain his breath as his confused mind tries to muddle through what had just happened.

The awful familiarity of his surroundings terrify the warlock. Old wounds doesn't remember receiving ache as the air hangs still around him like death itself.

Wincing, Merlin sits himself up. A glint in front of him catches his eye. It was a sword. A sword Merlin could have sword was still in the stone he himself had placed it in after the Morgause's takeover. His gaze runs down the ornate blade, stopping where blood coated it.

The bloodstained blade triggers a memory; an awful, impossible memory. A memory once contained within his nightmares.

Desperately, Merlin's eyes sweep the forest near him, hoping beyond hope that he was wrong. His gaze meets the worried blue eyes of his King, lying still where Merlin had left him. Two sets of memories come crashing together.

Merlin's wondrous life with Morgana was naught but a dream.

Merlin lets loose a great, soul-rending yell of denial. His magic, overflowing with pain, streaks out of him, pulling dark storm clouds out of nowhere with invisible threads of force. The first raindrops fall as he finally spots what he was so desperately searching for.

Without standing, he scrambles over to Morgana's prone body. Cradling her face in his hands, he gently calls her name. But it's too late. He had killed her.

Leaning back, Merlin lets the tears flow freely. His eyes study her still face, as the ghostly touch of Morgana's love wars with the solid pains of her rage.

Looking on, Arthur, unknowing of the true extent of the tangible connection that formed between the seemingly implacable foes, mourns.

He mourns for the death of his sister. And he mourns for the part of Merlin that died when he was forced to kill the only woman he ever had truly loved.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I am sorry, but this was always going to happen.**

**However, this story isn't quite complete. Yet. There are one or two more chapters I will be uploading.**


	22. Chapter 22

Merlin spent the next few weeks in a daze. His entire reality has come crashing around his ears, to reveal that his nightmares were real. He lost his wife, his children, the Golden Age of Albion, to a shattered world where everyone had lost so much to his mistakes.

Even as he settled back into real life, he found himself continuing habits from the shared dream. He often greeted the empty room as he entered his chambers. Whilst engrossed in books, he would go to call Morgana or Elaine to show them particularly interesting sections. He once nearly bought a rather lewd and particularly humorous figurine that he knew Gwaine would have gotten a kick out of. Several times he referred to his non-existent daughters, each time getting confused looks in return. He couldn't face telling them of what could have been, had he taken the chance and defied the wishes of his mentors.

He was moved into the same room of the castle that he lived in with Morgana. He started his duties as unofficial Court Warlock whilst Guinevere started to lift the ban on magic. He mourned with the kingdom for Arthur, and mourned Morgana whilst Camelot celebrated.

As the years passed, Merlin got more adept at hiding his constant recollections of his lost decades, but he never forgot. He often wondered why Morgana had done what she had. Was some small part of her still the Morgana she used to be, showing him that she felt the same? Or was it simply a petty act of revenge, forcing Merlin to suffer the rest of his long life knowing exactly what his mistakes had prevented.

He spent many years searching for the spell that Morgana had used, but to no avail. He eventually came to the conclusion that it was instinctual, spur of the moment. But that didn't help answer his question. Why? Could her hate of him been that severe? Or her love that great?

Merlin would never find a definite answer.

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**Author's Note:**

**One more chapter to go**


	23. Chapter 23

Sitting quietly at a corner table, Merlin watches the many and varied patrons of the small café as they carry on their lives, unaware of just how remarkable the deceptively-young man sat in the corner was.

For more than a millennium and a half, Merlin has wandered the globe, learning from dozens of magical folk, from the medicine men in the New World, to the walkers of the Australian Aboriginal Dreamtime. He has watched civilisations rise, full of hope for the future, and then crumble and burn under the mistakes of their leaders. He witnessed Magic's retreat from the world, until only him and frauds remained.

But something changed in the last few years. Slowly, slowly, magic started trickling back. Creatures not seen for centuries started to reappear. People started to exude magical signatures. The Crystal Cave reopened.

Lost in his memories, Merlin sits and contemplates the possibility that his long vigil will soon be at an end and he will be reunited with Arthur.

A soft, lilting voice cuts through his reverie like a bolt of lightning. He looks up to see a face he had so desperately hoped he would see for more than a millennium and a half. Raven hair framing a porcelain face, inset with emerald eyes and ruby lips.

Joy fills his heart as his eyes meet Morgana's, and see a flicker of confused recognition inside the green orbs.

Standing, he smiles and walks over, determined to not repeat his mistakes of the past.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**And here we are, finished. It has been a fair old journey. My longest story to date. I would like to thank each and every one of you dear readers, and especially those who sent me such glowing reviews. I don't think I would have finished this without you. **

**If anyone wants to write a companion piece, another flash of the dream world, anything, please feel free but do let me know. I would like to read it myself, and link to it for everyone else.**

**Oh, one point. I made up the Aboriginal Dreamtime walkers. I wanted to show how far Merlin had travelled, and I thought it sounded cool.**

**Once again, many, many thanks to you all.**

**Tahyldras**


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